SALON’S PROGRAM A CUT ABOVE
MARIE Mills may have lost her hair but she sure hasn’t lost her way with words.
“It’s not every day that a lady is made to feel beautiful under such ugly conditions,” she says of how a woman she had never met transformed one of the hardest days of her breast cancer journey into one of the most memorable.
“Normally one goes to the hairdressers to look glamorous and be pampered, but glamorous is not a word that would come to mind as your hair starts to fall out. Maybe ugly, bald and ill.
“(But) I actually walked out with my head high.”
That’s because Marie was tipped off about a simple but oh-so-important initiative that aims to support women through the emotional process of cancer-related hair loss.
Toni & Guy’s Pink Scissor Program sees specially trained hair stylists paired with clients going through chemotherapy to ensure their unique needs are met.
And that’s no small responsibility, according to the woman entrusted with caring for Marie at its Broadbeach salon.
“It’s very emotional,” says Maryam Mylander, who has more than 10 years’ experience as a stylist. “You worry that you’re not going to be able to support people if they get upset. You’re worried that you mightn’t say the right things but you just have to be humble and listen.
“It is different to a normal appointment … Marie had already lost a lot of hair and obviously the scalp gets a bit sensitive as well. You’ve got to be really gentle. You do form a special bond.”
The reason for that is never more evident than when Marie recalls the anxiety she felt simply picking up the phone to make her appointment.
“I was very nervous and hesitant about phoning,” says the Mermaid Waters resident, who was diagnosed in August.
“Losing a breast is emotionally devastating but to also lose your hair is the ultimate for a woman’s pride and dignity. Most women spend thousands each year to look their best, especially here on the Gold Coast.
“(But) I was so relieved to be treated as a person of importance, rather than with sympathy.”
While wigs are now part of her wardrobe, Marie says she’s certainly got a new perspective on life.
“I cannot believe it took breast cancer to make me realise that long, blonde hair isn’t the be-all I thought it was,” she says.